


New Hues

by Cassidae



Series: Color By Number [3]
Category: King Falls AM (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Dad Friend Sammy Stevens, F/M, First Meetings, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Romantic Soulmates, ben arnold loves his soulmates so much, emily potter deserves everything good in this world
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-20 23:44:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16565408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cassidae/pseuds/Cassidae
Summary: Hue:a term which describes a dimension of color we readily experience when we look at color, or its purest form.Emily hears her Soulmate long before she sees him, though of course she doesn't know it at the time.Throughout her life, she's never been impatient to meet her SM, even if seeing in color would be nice.[ AU where you see in black and white until you meet your Soulmate and then you see in full color. Or, at least you should. ]





	New Hues

**Author's Note:**

> **Note:** Reading the previous works in this series is highly recommended, though shouldn't be strictly necessary.
> 
> But if you don't, just know that Ben and Sammy are platonic Soulmates while Sammy/Jack and Ben/Emily are romantic Soulmates. When you have multiple Soulmates, you only get some of the colors with each meeting - in this case, half.

Emily hears her Soulmate long before she sees him, though of course she doesn’t know it at the time.

She listens to at least part of every broadcast since the beginning, either because she gets up very early to get a head start on her work or stays up very late to finish it. Listening to their radio show has turned out to be a bright spot in her day; they’re just as informative as they are funny, even the shyer Ben Arnold.

She tries to picture their faces but knows she’ll never be able to get them quite right. Imagining based on voices instead of descriptors is something she finds herself ill-suited for. Around town, she’s heard more about what Sammy’s car looks like than the person himself because he’s as much as a shiny new oddity as a recluse. Or, so the grocer says – Emily tries to stay out of the gossip, honestly she does, but small town folk love to talk.

Her tastes lean more towards the non-fiction – biographies and histories of people and places, first-hand accounts and deep analysis – all the different ways people fit together and into the world, far away from her own experiences in this little mountain town. But she can’t say she hasn’t read a fiction or ten, escapist fantasy and speculative sci-fi, sometimes with romance and sometimes without.

Finding her Soulmate was never at the top of her to-do list like it seemed to be for most girls her age while growing up. Even her parents seemed to expect it. Her mom would chide her to look up from her books once in a while, or she’ll walk right by him.

Yes, _him._ Her tall and handsome prince charming that would sweep her off her feet, apparently.

But Emily never really look up and never really regretted it. At some point, as she grew older and taller, she figured that maybe she could be the one doing the sweeping.

Still, she’s not impatient for it to happen, even if seeing in color would be nice. She already has so many words for sights she does not yet know.

(For a time, she will know color and be happy she does, though one day she will fear the glow of a rainbow more than anything in this world or any other.

Ignorance is bliss, for now. One day it will be her curse as well.)

********

 

Emily is honestly really excited about being on the show tonight.

But maybe that excitement got away from her, just a bit, and turned into anxious over-preparing. She’s only supposed to talk about the library’s grand re-opening, but what if they decide to ask her about the sections they’ve started to replace or recommended readings from certain genres or samples from the children’s section? She’s both very new to and very young for the position of Head Librarian, so it feels like she can’t mess up even a little.

Besides, the stack of books in her arms really isn’t that heavy. Her main trouble is balance, though she still manages to open the door to the station on her own by maneuvering it into one arm and propping it on her hip for a few moments. One obstacle passed.

The old, almost ramshackle building is no creepier than her own workplace, though it’s a lot less grand. She walks with no more than a passing curiosity until she finds the door with the glowing On Air sign above it, a bright neon beacon in the dimness.

Emily hesitates for a moment, though she feels ridiculous for it. She had triple-checked the time before she got out of her car, and if they’re sticking to schedule then that should be on break right now. She’s the Head Librarian, for goodness sake! Even if this isn’t her domain, she has more than enough experience and training to do this simple task.

She takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders, then knocks as softly as she can with her foot.

_“It’s open!”_ Someone’s muffled voice calls through the door. Ben, she thinks?

_“Ben, where are your manners?”_ Another voice snaps – Sammy, apparently.

There’s soft grumbling back and forth for a few seconds that she can’t make out, but just when Emily’s about to try and do it herself, the door swings open. The man who greets her has a messy bun on his head and a welcoming smile on his face. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t look at all like what she imagined for either of them.

“Hi – you must be Emily,” He says, then starts to raise his hand before registering the pile of books that occupy hers. He smiles bashfully and aborts the motion, scratching his flannel-covered sleeve instead.

“That’s me!” Emily agrees, returning the smile. “And you’re Sammy?”

“Yep. I suppose you had a fifty-fifty chance of guessing right,” He says.

He’s clearly just kidding, but she corrects him anyway. “Not a guess! I actually listen to you guys all the time.”

“Good to hear,” He replies, smile growing warmer by the second. He then seems to realize he’s still blocking the doorway and steps aside to let her in. “You’re right on time – break’s ending any second.”

Emily feels more relaxed already, and the actual interview hasn’t even begun. Even with the new faces, these aren’t exactly strangers to her. She knows they’ll be kind. “Wonderful!” She says, then takes a step in and finally getting a good look at the studio.

She spots Ben immediately, the only other occupant of the room. And then she can’t look away.

It reminds her of watercolor painting, the way everything spreads from the dab of the brush and flows outward to fill in the blank space. It starts with his face, scrunched in a pout at first glance but quickly morphing into wide-eyed shock, then radiates in all directions in a continuous and intricate branching that covers their surroundings in moments.

Her mind feels a bit numb, and maybe her arms too, but the growing ball of warmth in her chest is as light as air.

The books, however, are not. They make a great crash when they slip from her fingers and onto the floor – and Sammy’s foot.

_“Ow!_ … Oh.” There’s a strange note to his voice, one that she might call realization if she had enough thought power to bother analyzing it.

“Ah! Sorry, sorry!” The spell broken, she wretches her eyes from Ben and bends down to pick everything up, hoping none of the pages are bent too badly. She had completely forgotten where she was for a moment.

She could name all the books she brought by heart, but suddenly they look alien to her with their covers in half a dozen new colors. The hands that touch them don’t look like her own, either, and all this newness is compounding her anxiety of having already messed up so horribly by _dropping_ her materials on an interviewer’s _foot_ and –

A squeak of a chair is all the warning she gets before there’s a warm hand brushing hers, and the shock of it nearly knocks her to the floor. Her head snaps up and she meets eyes with Ben for a second time, _so much closer_ than before, and suddenly she’s frozen again, her mind nothing but a blank page. Distantly, she hears a few footsteps, then a soft click like someone pressing a button.

She feels another hand on her shoulder and startles, her head snapping over at the same time as Ben to see Sammy smiling down at them. Well, she _thinks_ it’s Sammy, but he looks so much different now, _everything_ does, but his warm smile is still the same.

“Alright, kids, let’s get up. This is bad for your backs,” He says, and he definitely _sounds_ like Sammy, so all the evidence points to it actually being him. Probably.

Sammy helps her stand and she watches numbly as he and Ben finish gathering up the books, not sure she can even make herself move to help them. Ben keeps shooting quick glances at her as if to make sure she’s still there, hair falling into his eyes with the to-and-fro motion of his head. Once they’re finished, Emily comes back to herself enough to insist on taking at least the stack from Sammy, though Ben still holds onto the other half.

Ben flashes her a crooked smile that makes her acutely aware of her heart fluttering in her chest, erratic and startled and maybe even a little excited. But then he glances over to Sammy and freezes all over again, wearing a nearly identical look on his face as the one he was giving her just a second ago. Does he really not recognize Sammy, either? But it’s less confusion, and more like surprise, with a touch of wonder.

She’s pretty sure they’re all going to be locked in a staring contest until the show comes back on, or possibly for the rest of the night, but then Sammy lets out a huff that startles them both into looking at him again. He rolls his eyes and puts one hand on each of their shoulders, warm and grounding, then half-pushes them both out the door. Emily’s not sure what’s happening now, but she’s thankful that at least one of them is keeping their wits about them.

“Ben, why don’t you see the _lovely_ Miss Potter to the breakroom?” He says it like a suggestion, but he’s already shepherding them down the hall. For some reason, the comment makes Ben’s face darken a color she doesn’t know yet – red, maybe, if it’s a blush? Is _she_ blushing? Is it more or less noticeable than his? Why does she care about that?

It still isn’t sinking in what, precisely, has happened.

“But-but we’re in the middle of a show!” Ben protests, though he doesn’t seem to be making much of an effort to wiggle out of Sammy’s grip.

“And I’m supposed to talk about the library,” Emily adds, remembering her responsibilities and all the anxiety from them that feels so far away now.

“Nope!” Sammy says in response to both, then gives them a nudge through a door into another room. At a quick glance, she notices dingy couch and a small table - the breakroom, then. “I already put on another commercial and I can do the show myself for a bit – or the rest of the night, even! You two are going to be utterly useless for a while.”

“Hey, I’m fine!” Ben snaps, though his voice is a little higher than normal. He seems to hear it, too, and takes a moment to visibly compose himself before turning on his co-host. “I’m _fine,”_ He repeats. “Remember, I did _our_ first show right after-”

“This is different,” Sammy interrupts, giving Ben a _look._ His tone offers no room for argument. 

Ben holds out for a long second, glaring defiantly even as Sammy stares him down. But finally, his shoulders slump. _“Fine,”_ He grits out.

Sammy flashes him a fond smile that melts Ben’s pout almost instantly, then he turns to Emily. “I look forward to properly making your acquaintance, Miss Potter,” He says, and he already one foot already out the door, but there was something bothering her that she still needs to know.

“Wait,” Emily blurts, and both men stop and look at her. “How-how did you know that it so quickly?” She asks, not bothering to specify what ‘it’ is. She’s sure he knows, and somehow she feels like saying it aloud would change things.

But during _it,_ it had felt like an eternity. But she knows, logically, that it was only a second, two at most. Even though Sammy wasn’t a part of _it,_ he seemed to realize what was going on almost instantly and acted while Emily and Ben were frozen.

She watches as Sammy’s eyes dart to Ben for a moment before resting on her again. “You both dropped things,” He answers, like that explains everything instead of absolutely nothing, then shuts the door behind him.

“Drama queen,” Ben mutters.

“We both- what?” Emily asks, looking back at Ben. She hadn’t seen him holding anything at the time, though maybe she just missed it in the confusion.

“D-Don’t worry about it,” Ben stutters. She’s decided that’s definitely a blush darkening his cheeks. He abruptly turns and takes a couple steps toward the couch she had noticed, setting his stack down with a heave on the coffee table. She follows his lead, though she puts hers down more gently.

Unburdened at last, they turn to each other and just… stare. Again. She can’t even guess at what’s going on in Ben’s mind; she certainly is having trouble thinking, having trouble understanding the enormity of the past couple minutes.

Slowly, it hits her that she’s finally having her storybook moment, and it’s in an old radio station on top of a mountain at two in the morning with probably the shortest Prince Charming she could’ve imagined. But, after a moment of thought, she finds that she doesn’t really mind any of that.

Emily has the briefest moment where she wonders if she actually could sweep him off his feet, but she pushes the old, childish thought away. Instead, she raises her hand and waves it in a belated greeting. “Um, hello. I’m-”

“Emily,” Ben finishes in a rush, like it’s been caught in his mouth this entire time. “I-I know. I’m-”

“Ben,” Emily finishes, smiling in what she hopes is a reassuring way. “I know.”

“You-? Of-of course, yeah.” He’s clearly just as nervous as her, if not more, and that’s comforting. “And… you’re really the new-?”

“Head Librarian, yes. I would’ve thought the books gave me away,” She adds, and it feels good to be able to tease. Maybe she can get a hold of the situation yet.

“Well, you… you just don’t look like one, that’s all,” He says, either not realizing what he’s implied or not caring.

“… What _do_ I look like, then?” She asks, carefully not defensive.

“Stunning,” Ben answers without hesitation, then turns an even brighter shade of what she’s just calling red for now. “I-I mean- it’s just- the last one was Mrs. Kilpatrick, so-”

Ah. Now he’s making sense. “And we look nothing alike, I know,” She saves him. He looks at her with such relief and thankfulness that it has her blushing, too.

“S-Sammy seems to think we should talk,” Ben says while fiddling with the string of his hoodie. “Do you want coffee? We have coffee. I mean, it’s kinda _bad_ coffee – like, Sammy refuses to drink it without at least a cup of sugar kind of bad, but he’s also a coffee snob, so. A-and there’s both regular and decaf.”

“How about an ice water?” Emily suggests. She already had a cup before she came here, and Ben’s not really making another sound appealing. Besides, her heart rate is already high enough as it is.

“Water! I can do water,” Ben says eagerly. “Go ahead and take a seat – if you want, I mean. Wait, no, not yet,” He amends before she can even take a step. He quickly grabs a throw blanket from a shelf under the table and spreads it out so it covers the entirety of the couch, pillows and all. “Here, _now_ feel free to take a seat.”

“What’s this for?” She asks. The blanket is soft when she rubs her hands over it.

“We aren’t the only ones that use it, that’s all,” He answers, grimacing a little. He flashes her a quick smile before making his way over to the kitchenette in the corner and, without her own task to do, Emily takes a seat.

For a minute, the only sounds are the results of his shuffling. Cabinets opening and closing, cups clinking, the coffee pot pouring, the turn of the faucet. But Ben is quick and returns to the couch in no time, holding a steaming mug in one hand a clear glass in the other. He hands her the water before taking a seat, leaving a comfortable distance between them.

They sit like that in silence for another minute, each waiting for the other to speak first. It’s not awkward, exactly, but… stagnant. A disconnect. Like finding a blank page in the middle of a book and trying to fill in what’s supposed to happen between one scene and the next.

Ben tries his hand at dialogue first. “You can go ahead and do your segment anyway, if you want,” He says slowly. “I can tell Sammy that we’re both fine and he can stuff it.”

A smile tugs at her lips, but she shakes her head. “No, it’s okay. I… I think I do need a minute.”

“Y-yeah. Alright.” Ben looks away and down, as if fishing for more words in the swirls of his coffee. Apparently, he finds something, because he looks up a moment later. “What were you going to talk about?”

“The renovation, mostly,” She says. At least this is one question she’s well-prepared for. “What sections have been replaced, the date and time of the grand re-opening, that kind of thing. The building actually handled the fire really well, since it’s not wood but-”

“Brick and mortar, the largest structure of its kind in King Falls from its construction in 1912 until City Hall was built in 1918,” Ben finishes. Maybe she should feel annoyed at the interruption, but, honestly, she’s impressed.

“That’s exactly right!” She says, making sure to convey her pleasant surprise, and Ben grins wider with the praise. It’s really cute, actually. “Did you study up for the segment, or are you just that smart?” It’s really too easy to make him blush, she finds.

“I-I’m… it’s- I mean- I just have a knack for history, is all,” Ben tells her. “I like knowing about where I am and finding connections. Or gaps where connections should be. Lots of journalism is finding the story, you know? And history has a lot of cool stories.”

“That’s true,” Emily agrees. She’s relieved that Ben’s ideas about librarians don’t extend to the practice itself. The warm feeling still sitting in her chest glows a little brighter.

“And I know what you mean,” She adds, gaze straying downwards. The glass of water she holds in her hands is perhaps the only thing that doesn’t look any different than what she’s used to. It’s still clear, pure, and simple. “Sadly, we… have a lot of ‘gaps’ right now, since the fire. And what’s left is a bit of a mess, to be honest. I’m still trying to figure out what Mrs. Kilpatrick’s system is, because as it is her filing seems all over the place. I’m trying to make sense of it all, but it’s no small task.”

For a second she’s afraid she brought the mood down too much, but when she looks back at him Ben’s eyes are only sympathetic. “That does sound hard. But, I think you’re the right person for the job,” He says, and his conviction startles her. He says it as if it’s an immutable fact, as if less than an hour ago he hadn’t thought she’d be a copy of her predecessor who he clearly disliked so much.

“You don’t even know me,” She reminds him, and maybe she means more than about the job, maybe she’s also thinking about how he’s the person she could be spending the rest of her life with. She went through years of schooling for one, but she’s barely spared a thought about how meeting her SM would go even though she’s had a lifetime to. It feels like she’s missed a stair; falling, a rush, and uncertain where she’ll land.

Somehow, he catches her. “I know you’re smart, and-and passionate, and that you really care. And… I think that’s a pretty good start. For anything,” Ben says, and it’s not like she hasn’t heard those things before, but he looks so sweet and genuine when he says it it nearly melts her heart.

“Thank you, Benny,” Emily says, and she doesn’t mean for the nickname to slip out, it just _does._

But it sounds right. _This_ feels right. And even if nothing _looks_ right and will never be the same again, she can’t look at the smile lighting up Ben’s red face and think that the change is bad. 

Maybe this’ll be her happily ever after, after all.

********

 

Ben can’t even remember the last time he was this happy.

No, wait, that’s a lie. It was exactly two weeks ago, when he met Sammy. He remembers vividly the rush of colors and feelings lighting him up inside and out like fireworks, the rightness of clicking with someone, the excitement of trying to get to know someone while also knowing you have the rest of your lives to do it. And here it is, happening all over again! Ben has some lucky stars out there to thank. 

He completely forgets any thoughts he had about getting back to the show - the one he’s starting subconsciously thinking of as _their_ show, even though he’s supposed to be just the producer. He’s pretty sure that the fact that Sammy keeps insisting on bringing him on air is a good sign for their relationship, even if it is nerve-wracking for Ben literally every time.

But he finds he’s _really_ thankful for Sammy all but kicking him out of the studio earlier. Emily is a total angel of a human being, honestly, and whenever he’s not starstruck by her sheer beauty he finds that she’s an absolute _delight_ to talk with. She’s basically a walking encyclopedia, sweeter than how Sammy takes his coffee, and laughs at his quips and even makes a few of her own in return.

The nerves they seemed to share during the start of the conversation quickly fizzle out as they get lost in conversation. His tongue still occasionally trips over itself, especially when she calls him _Benny,_ but for the most part it’s startling easy to be around her. They talk some more about the library, the books she brought, King Falls in general, and somehow wind up looking up pictures on their phones and excitedly showing eachother when they found something really cool or pretty. It’s _fun,_ and Ben finds himself smiling even more whenever he sees Emily’s face light up because of something he showed her.

But, of course, the very first thing Ben looks up is the color yellow. His screen’s full of not only swatches of different shades, but also things like lemons and daisies and the sun and lightning. He keeps scrolling, and then there are birds and bananas and bees and _pikachu,_ of all things. Out of nowhere, he has a mental image of Sammy in a bright yellow pikachu hoodie with the ears and then he can’t stop laughing for a full minute. He manages to explain it to Emily once he gets himself under control, and she lets out the _cutest_ little giggle, and Ben really could die happy right now.

Sammy had said yellow was his favorite color, but now that he knows what it looks like, Ben has to admit that it doesn’t fit his picture of him. Like, at all. Maybe that’s because he’s already started associating him with blue, like the shirt Sammy was wearing on the night they met or the deep midnight sky when they start work or the calmness Sammy always exudes. Sammy never seems _bright,_ exactly, even in the few and far between instances he smiles or chuckles. It’s not a bad thing, really, but Ben despairs again and how little he really _knows_ his first SM.

He’s a bit more successful at getting to know his second SM, though, but even then he doesn’t know what color he might start associating with Emily yet. Maybe pink like her cheeks, or green like the cover of the book she’d taken out from her stack to talk about since it’s one of her favorites. When he asks her what her favorite color is, she insists it’s impossible to decide yet. That’s fair - Ben had already gotten to see half the rainbow before tonight, so it’s almost definitely been less jarring for him.

He’s not at all sure how to go about explaining that to Emily, actually. He himself hadn’t heard of the “multiple SMs” thing beforehand, and nothing Emily’s said so far indicates that she’s experiencing it. So then, it’s just him with the two SMs. One platonic, and one… romantic, hopefully. Ben’s already certain he wants Emily in his life in some capacity, but he really, really wants to be the one to make her happy.

Ben’s still thinking these hopeful, sappy thoughts when the breakroom door opens. It’s not abrupt or anything, but he and Emily still immediately jump apart and - oh, wow, he hadn’t even realized they were sitting so close. They definitely hadn’t been a little while ago, but right then their knees were almost touching. So much for “leave room for Jesus” or whatever that Baptist dance chaperone had yelled at him once. A quick glance at Emily’s face tells him he’s not the only embarrassed one, at least.

It shouldn’t feel like getting caught in your room by your parent, but, well, with the look Sammy’s giving them it kinda does. “How’s it going, kids?” He asks with a teasing smile that makes Ben want to chuck one of the nasty Chet-stained pillows at his face.

“Oh, it’s - fine. We’re fine,” Emily answers, smiling sweetly. “How’s the show going? I’m good to jump back in after the break, if you’d like,” She adds, shooting a questioning glance at Ben.

“Yeah, me too,” Ben agrees, albeit a bit reluctantly. It’s not that he doesn’t have fun while doing the show with Sammy, of course, but he could’ve kept talking to Emily long past sunrise.

Sammy raises an eyebrow at them, somehow looking even more amused. “That’s nice, you two, but show’s over.”

_“What?”_ Ben yelps, then scrambles to check his phone. Sure enough, _6:03 AM_ flashes up at him from the screen.

“Oh,” Emily says softly, cringing. “Oh-oh my god, I’m so sorry! I could’ve sworn we’d only been talking for a half hour, at most. We… we can reschedule before Thursday, right?”

“Hey, hey! No worries,” Sammy consoles, keeping steady in the face of both their panics. “I figured this would happen. And _of course_ we can reschedule. Right, Ben?” He adds and oh, right, Ben has a job outside of making Emily giggle and Sammy smile.

“R-right! No problem,” He says quickly, though his mind’s pulling up a blank for their schedule for the next few days. But it’s not like they exactly have guests lining up to come on their show right now, so there’ll probably be a day between now and then that’ll be a little sparse.

Thankfully, that gets Emily to relax. “Ah, that’s good. Sorry, tonight - or, erm, this morning? Just, none of this has gone anything like I expected,” She says, and Ben relates. _He_ had started out tonight expecting - well, another old Nazi, to be honest. And Emily is quite literally the furthest thing from that.

Suddenly, Ben has a moment where he’s acutely aware that he has _both of his two Soulmates in the same room_ and how impossibly wonderful his life has gotten in less than a month. And if Ben can play his cards right, it’ll only get better from here.

“H-hey, it’s kinda my fault, too,” Ben says, scratching the back of his neck. “You’re just really nice to talk to, and I lost track - and I _never_ lose track,” He mutters the last part, but Emily obviously heard if her little smile is anything to go by.

“It’s true,” Sammy confirms. He’s made his way over to the coffee machine, dumping out the long-cold pot and starting a fresh one. “I swear he has a sixth sense that tells him when we need to go to commercial. What were you two talking about that got you so caught up?” He adds, throwing another annoying _look_ over his shoulder. But… Ben doesn’t think he’s ever seen him smile this much - _real_ smiles, not just out of reflex or politeness - and he’ll take it even if its at his expense.

“Oh, just… things,” Ben says, which sounds horribly awkward even to his ears. “Nothing, really. Or, well, more like a little bit of everything.”

“Honestly, we stared at our phones for a while,” Emily admits with a little laugh. “Looking at pictures, you know? Putting sights to names.”

“I do know,” Sammy says, and he’s turned away so Ben can’t see the look on his face, but his words are so soft he only just hears him over the sound of the machine running. For a hot second, Ben thinks Sammy is going to talk about Ben immediately going to his phone after their meeting, and then they’ll have to explain everything _right now._ But he doesn’t.

Before he can wonder too much about it, Emily speaks up. “So you can see color, too?” She asks, polite as ever.

“Yeah, I can,” Sammy answers while he grabs a mug from the cabinet, his back still turned to them. The mug is the same one Ben dropped that first night because of the shock, and he knows because now it has a little chip on the rim. Ben wonders if that was a deliberate choice or just a coincidence

Ben thinks her next question will be ‘who is she?’ and that’ll create a whole mess of awkward, but instead Emily asks “Is yellow your favorite?” Both he and Sammy give her a surprised look.

“That’s the first thing Ben searched,” She explains, and Ben can feel a blush creeping onto his cheeks. Sammy shoots Ben a look that he can’t interpret, but then Emily continues. “And then he found a picture of pikachu you know, the pokemon? And he started laughing because-”

“Because it looked funny!” Ben cuts in hurriedly. “It was, like, the really early one where he was fat. Goofy looking thing.”

Both of his SMs raise an eyebrow at him - and, seriously, it’s like they _practiced_ that - but Emily doesn’t rat him out and Sammy just shakes his head with a look that says ‘I don’t understand you’.

“Do you want to sit down, Sammy? I’m sorry we haven’t gotten a chance to talk,” Emily says, squeezing herself to one side of the couch to make more room. Ben tries to not look noticeably disappointed at the new distance.

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Sammy says, waving one hand dismissively while he pours his cup with the other. “I’ll be off after I finish this. Working a one-man show was tougher than I thought, so I’m kinda tired.”

Ben feels a little prickle of guilt. “You sure? We can still go to Rose’s. On me this time!”

_“Yes,_ I’m sure, Ben,” Sammy insists. He’s not looking at him while he shovels sugar into his mug. He hasn’t looked at them for a while now, but that’s probably just because of what he’s doing. “How about you treat _Emily_ at Rose’s instead?” He suggests.

_“Or_ we could all go together?” Ben bargains. Honestly, he’d like nothing better than a three-person breakfast date right now.

“Sorry, count me out, too. I’ve already been out a lot longer than I planned,” Emily says, then, as if on cue, covers her mouth as she yawns. Even her _yawn_ is cute, good grief.

“Alright,” Ben sighs, probably failing to hide his disappointment. When Emily stands and starts gathering her books up, he gets up as well. “Here, let me help-”

“No, I’ve got it!”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure. But thank you, Benny.”

“O-okay. At least let me walk you to your car, though.”

“Alright,” Emily agrees, giving him a soft smile that makes Ben’s stomach swoop.

Emily says goodbye to Sammy on her way out the door as Ben trails behind. Once she’s not looking, he and Ben make eye contact and Sammy mouths _‘Benny?’_ at him with the _worst_ smirk on his face. Ben makes a rude gesture at him before scrambling down the hall after Emily, the sound of Sammy’s snort following him out.

Ben holds open the door for both the station and her car, neither of them saying much while Emily arranges her books in the seat so they won’t tip over on the drive down. Ben breaks the silence by clearing his throat, but once they meet eyes his nerves almost get the better of him. 

She is just so gorgeous. Seriously, how did Ben get this lucky?

“D-do you want my number?” He blurts out. “For-for rescheduling the segment, I mean. I-It’ll be easier than going through the library’s upper management again, you know?”

“Oh. Yeah, okay,” Emily agrees easily enough. She hands over her phone and Ben adds himself as a contact, not daring to put anything besides just his name. Once she has it back, she types something and Ben feels his pocket buzz with a new text - a smiling emoji paired with the book stack emoji - and he feels happiness bubble anew in his chest. Maybe not just work, then. Hopefully.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you in a day or two. We’ll find a way to squeeze you in, don’t worry,” He tells her.

“Thanks again,” She says with a smile. “Maybe then we’ll do that breakfast thing?”

“Oh! Yeah, sure, if you still want to,” He agrees, maybe a little too quickly. His heart’s beating fast, and he can’t even blame it on the caffeine since he hasn’t had a cup in hours, apparently.

“I’m pretty sure I will,” She says, and her smile mostly assures Ben that she isn’t just humoring him. “

“I-I’m looking forward to it,” Ben manages to squeak out. Part of him doesn’t want this to end, but the other part wants it to be over for now before he starts messing it up.

Ben expects her to just get in her car, but she startles him by reaching out and taking his hand quickly. It’s paired with a small squeeze and barely a second long, but Ben feels warmth shoot all the way up his arm and down his spine.

Then she lets go before he can even think of doing anything like squeezing back. “See you!” She says, flashing him another quick smile before sliding into her seat.

“Bye!” He calls before she shuts the door. Ben watches her go and manages to gather his wits enough to wave goodbye as she pulls out onto the road. He thinks he sees her wave back.

Ben takes a deep breath of the cool, fresh morning air, and finally has a look around. He could already see green trees and blue sky before thanks to meeting Sammy, but the bright yellow rays of the sun and the warm brown of the tree trunks and the little spots of red from flowers growing through the pavement cracks make the picture finally complete.

He hears the station door creak open behind him and turns around to see Sammy, windbreaker on and keys in hand. Sammy gives him a smile that looks a little stiff, but it’s probably because he’s tired.

“Last chance for that breakfast,” Ben says, though he knows it’s a lost cause even before Sammy shakes his head.

“Save your money for when you go on an actual date,” Sammy says. When Ben doesn’t respond immediately, he gives him another look. “You are going on a date with her soon, right?”

“Y-yes?” Ben answers, though it comes out sounding like a question. “I mean, no _specific_ plans, but she said she still wants to go out for breakfast sometime and she gave me her number and… and she seems happy, I think.”

Sammy’s smile softens at that. “Sounds like you two really hit it off,” He says. Then he takes a few steps closer, and at first Ben thinks he’s just walking to his car, but then he stops next to Ben and puts a hand on his shoulder and gives it a squeeze. “She seems great. I’m happy for you.”

It’s a small gesture, really, but it’s also the most affectionate Sammy’s ever been toward him, and if Ben wasn’t already over the moon he knows that would’ve sent him soaring. Then Sammy lets go and takes a step away. On instinct, Ben reaches out and grabs his wrist, but Sammy freezes at the touch and Ben lets go instantly.

“S-sorry, I just…” Just what? Ben’s not actually sure. Sammy’s been nothing but warm and kind and given him every bit of encouragement all night. But there’s something about the tense line of his shoulders and the tightness around his eyes that looks _off,_ and Ben’s seen Sammy ‘tired’ but this isn’t that. He only knows one thing that’s been different about tonight.

“You’re still my SM, too, you know,” Ben says slowly. “It’s not like I’m… _less_ happy to be your SM now that I’ve met Emily. You know that, right?” He asks, watching Sammy’s face carefully.

“Sure,” Sammy says, but Ben doesn’t believe him. He’s turned his head to talk to Ben but holds the rest of his body sideways, as if ready to make a quick escape.

“Seriously,” Ben insists, trying to sound firm but not threatening. “I still want to be your friend and go to Rose’s all the time and do, like, friend-dates with you, even if I start going on date-dates with Emily.”

“… I didn’t mean to imply otherwise,” Sammy says softly, and it’s one of his trademarked non-answers, so Ben still doesn’t know what he thinks or if he just said the completely wrong thing.

“Well… good,” Ben says, since apparently today he’s not getting any closer to solving the puzzle that is Sammy. “I-I mean, the Emily thing is still a big ‘if’ anyway,” He adds, though his one hand still feels warmer than the other. Subconsciously, he reaches over to hold his own hand, though its size and texture isn’t anything like hers.

“Pretty sure that’s actually a very _small_ ‘if’,” Sammy counters, back to teasing. Ben thinks he looks a little more relaxed. At the very least, he’s finally turned to fully face Ben, hands in his jacket pockets instead of clutching his keys like a lifeline.

_“Don’t_ try to wingman me,” Ben warns, pointing a finger at him for good measure. “That’ll just, like, open up so many more opportunities for disaster.”

“Hey, you can’t say I wasn’t _helpful_ tonight!” Sammy says, mock-wounded. He eyes Ben’s finger for a moment before reaching over to push it down. “I did _your job_ tonight so you could go make goo-goo eyes.”

“I’m sure I can’t wait to listen to those tapes,” Ben says dryly. Considering how little tech-competence Sammy’s shown so far, he doubts it was smooth sailing. “And what do _you_ know about producing anyway? You’re just a talking head.”

A strange look like a grimace passes over Sammy’s face, but then he just rolls his eyes at Ben. “At least you didn’t say ‘pretty face’ - I could’ve made a good radio joke about that.”

“I take back everything; Emily is way prettier than you,” Ben declares, but he’s fighting back a smile now.

“I won’t argue with that,” Sammy says, and there’s definitely a smile tugging at his lips. “Just be sure to text her soon and go on that _date-date,”_ He adds.

“I-I’ll… yeah,” Ben replies, though he can hear the note of doubt in his own voice. Before Sammy can try to cajole him more, he adds on, “We should have our own friend-date soon!”

“Nothing big,” He says quickly when Sammy once again looks like he wants to make an escape. It feels like he’s trying to entice a street cat to come closer. “You can like, come over and we can play video games?” He suggests hopefully, the first and easiest thing that comes to mind.

Sammy looks at him for a few seconds that seem to stretch out into forever before he sighs in an overdramatic, full-body motion. “Yeah, I… guess we can do that.”

“Great!” Ben says brightly, willing to take even a clearly reluctant ‘yes’. “I’ll stock up on snacks this weekend, and then we can go to town!”

“Sounds fun,” Sammy says, though he doesn’t look nearly as excited as Ben feels. But Ben’s sure he can change that once it actually happens. He’s just got to make sure Sammy doesn’t wiggle out of it before then and now.

“It’s a date!” Ben says, shooting Sammy a wink.

Ben will admit that he deserves Sammy’s eye-roll this time. “I hope you have better date ideas than _that_ for Emily,” He mutters.

“... We’ll see,” Is all Ben’s willing to say on that.

Sammy gives him a little half-smile that makes Ben smile back. But then Ben nearly jumps when Sammy reaches out and ruffles his hair. His hand retracts barely a second later, and for a second Sammy looks as surprised that he did that as Ben feels.

“I-I’m off now, for real this time,” Sammy says, and doesn’t even wait for a reply before turning and speed-walking across the lot.

Ben, blush hot on his face, gets a vivid feeling of deja-vu as he watches Sammy climb in his car and pull out and onto the road. His hand raises automatically to wave, but he’s not sure if Sammy even sees him before he drives around the corner and out of sight.

“I have the _best_ Soulmates,” Ben proudly tells the empty air, wearing a grin threatening to split his face in two.

**Author's Note:**

> ... This was _supposed_ to be my big Bemily piece but turned into a lot of Sammy & Ben. Oops? But I'm not even sorry - platonic partners being just as important as romantic partners will be the hill I die on. This was also my first time really writing Emily, and I can only hope I did her justice!
> 
> Up next: Not everyone gets their storybook ending.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed and you'll stick around to read more!
> 
> You can find me on my podcast sideblog on tumblr [@podcastsmakemecry](https://podcastsmakemecry.tumblr.com/)


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